Graphene-Based Ultrathin Flat Lenses

TLDR

Flat lenses are aberration‑free and compact, making them suitable for many electro‑optical applications. The study presents flat, ultrathin graphene lenses, leveraging graphene’s extreme thinness. Monolayer and multilayer graphene were patterned into Fresnel zones to create Fresnel zone plates, whose visible‑ and terahertz‑range performance was modeled and experimentally verified. The results confirm that atom‑thin graphene lenses function as predicted and hold promise for ultracompact integration.

Abstract

Flat lenses when compared to curved surface lenses have the advantages of being aberration free, and they offer a compact design necessary for a myriad of electro-optical applications. In this paper we present flat and ultrathin lenses based on graphene, the world's thinnest known material. Monolayers and multilayers of graphene were fabricated into Fresnel zones to produce Fresnel zone plates, which utilize the reflection and transmission properties of graphene for their operation. The working of the lenses and their performance in the visible and terahertz regimes were analyzed computationally. Experimental measurements were also performed to characterize the lens in the visible regime, and a good agreement was obtained with the simulations. This work demonstrates the principle of atom-thick graphene-based lenses, with perspectives for ultracompact integration.